Not a lot went right in the Rockies’ first week. And frankly, it will likely take a left turn for this franchise to rebound.

This Rockies team was built to hit, even entertain, but not necessarily contend. There are just too many questions regarding the pitching staff. Of course, Juan Nicasio could place the sport on its ear, changing how the rotation is viewed. For now, the Rockies are staring at an incline better suited for mountain goats.

The path back to respectability — playing consistent meaningful games in September — begins with starting pitching. The Rockies have three left-handed arms talented enough to change the franchise’s course — today’s pitcher Drew Pomeranz, Triple-A starter Christian Friedrich and Modesto’s Tyler Matzek.

All three are former first-round draft picks. Pomeranz was taken by the Indians, the necessary piece for the Rockies to agree to the Ubaldo Jimenez deal. I have never covered another young pitcher with his confidence and cool demeanor.

The Rockies purposefully placed Jamie Moyer’s locker next to Pomeranz’s during spring training. And the two were throwing partners. It reinforced a valuable lesson to Pomeranz. Straight isn’t better. His fastball has been cutting since he arrived in spring training last year, and that pitch will ultimately determine his success.

“I am not going to change anything, that’s for sure,” Pomeranz said.

Friedrich was knocked around during his last week of the spring with the big club, but he showed more improvement than any minor-leaguer I saw.

Living alone in Florida and cooking his own meals, Friedrich dropped nearly 30 pounds. He worked out at a club frequented by seniors. They complained when he would slap a towel down, a drill used to improve a pitcher’s follow-through. He met up with Cliff Lee in Arkansas, gleaning pointers about his tempo and focus.

Friedrich owns a 2.92 ERA through his first two Triple-A starts. He allowed just two hits in his last game.

It’s no secret that the Rockies have missed in the draft on starting pitchers, which motivated the Jimenez deal. Freidrich becoming a factor late this year and early next provides hope, if not financial flexibility, to address other concerns.

Matzek might not make his major-league debut until late in 2013. His minor-league career has been a slalom course of disappointment, including a return during last season to his personal pitching coach to straighten out his mechanics. When I spoke with Matzek in January, his edge was noticeable. He believed the worst was behind him.

He has a 1.86 ERA after two starts. I loved when the Rockies gambled by taking Matzek. Now, they need this investment to pay dividends. Matzek was the best left-handed prep pitcher in California since Cole Hamels. Barring injury, he needs to become a good big-league starter.

Look at the Giants with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner, all draft picks. The Rockies’ answers to turning the franchise around lie with their left-handers. They need them to pop.

Tulo a bargain? When the Rockies gave Troy Tulowitzki a seven-year, $134.5 million extension before last season, Jimenez wasn’t the only one who reacted negatively. The deal was almost universally panned by national baseball writers for its length and the clear lack of urgency to give the shortstop a new deal. Sixteen months later, Tulo’s contract looks like a bargain. His contract takes him through the age of 36, when he might be a third baseman but still has a decent shot of being productive.

There have been seven contracts exceeding $100 million since the offseason began, topped by Albert Pujols ($254 million) and followed by the Reds’ Joey Votto (12 years, $251.5 million). Votto will be 39 at deal’s end. There was no precedent for this kind of contract for a player two years away from free agency.

“I want to see everyone get paid,” Tulowitzki said. “I have more than enough, trust me.”

These deals are directly tied to the new TV contracts that teams are anticipating.

Spotlight on: David Freese, 3B, Cardinals

Background: His path to the big leagues has been littered with injuries, stop signs and apathy. After high school, Freese, arguably the state of Missouri’s best prep shortstop as a senior, quit baseball. The game had become work. He wanted to be a kid again. He enrolled at Missouri as a student. It wasn’t until he returned home after his freshman year that baseball bit him again. That led to a remarkable journey through junior college, South Alabama, the Padres and finally to the Cardinals, where he was acquired in exchange for a player he grew up watching, Jim Edmonds. His friends texted him, saying the Redbirds got robbed.

What’s up: Freese, or @dfreese23 on Twitter, was stone-cold clutch in the playoffs. As a No. 7 hitter, he went 25-for-63 with five home runs and 21 RBIs. If he never got another hit, his work in Game 6 of the World Series (2-for-5, three RBIs) would have been remembered forever. After a forgettable spring, Freese hasn’t stopped raking. He hit safely in the Cardinals’ first six games and entered the weekend with a .429 average, three home runs and 10 RBIs.

Renck’s take: Freese, 28, received several opportunities to nail down the Cardinals’ third base job, but couldn’t stay healthy, couldn’t produce when it counted. It all came together at the end of last season. This is a man with patience and purpose, who admittedly benefited from working with former Rockie Matt Holliday. Holliday has a calming effect on young players, and is able to dispense advice without coming across as arrogant or confrontational. He was the most influence voice in Troy Tulowitzki’s first season. “He’s humble and a hard worker,” Holliday told me during the World Series.

With Albert Pujols gone, Freese hits fifth, an ideal RBI spot behind Holliday and Lance Berkman. Freese’s ability to hit to the opposite field should prevent long slumps and help the Cardinals’ lineup score more than anyone thinks possible.

Troy joined The Denver Post in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role before the 2015 season. He is a past president of the local chapter of Baseball Writers Association of America and has won more than 20 local and national writing awards since graduating from the University of Colorado journalism school with honors in 1993.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyreek Hill didn’t know what to do when he started hearing thousands of people in Arrowhead Stadium chanting his name, even as he stood all alone on the frozen turf waiting for the punt.